It is not a crime to be attractive or dress in well-cut business suits, but if you ask Debrahlee Lorenzana, 33, either can cost you your job. She claims in court papers that she was forced out of her $70,000-a-year Manhattan Citibank job because her male managers found her a “distraction”.
The single mother, who worked for Citibank as a business banker at their branch inside the Chrysler building, says her outfits were deemed “too distracting” by her male managers.
According to the Wall Street gossip site Dealbreaker, Lorenzana’s boss Craig Fisher and one of his colleagues pulled her into office one day and told her to stop wearing turtlenecks, pencil skirts, three-inch heels or fitted business suits.
Lorenzana describes the confrontation “very uncomfortable”. When she pointed out that other women in office also wore pencil skirts and heels, she was told those women’s shapes were different from hers and she drew too much attention.
“I could have worn a paper bag, and it would not have mattered,” Lorenza told the Village Voice. “If it wasn’t my shirt, it was my pants. If it wasn’t my pants, it was my shoes. They picked on me every single day.”
“Where I’m from,” she added, “women dress up — like put on makeup and do their nails — to go to the supermarket. And I’m not talking trashy. I was raised very Latin, you know? We’re feminine. A woman in Puerto Rico takes care of herself.”
Lorenza said when she complained to the human resources department, her male managers came down on her like a tonne of bricks. She was first stripped of some of her duties before being sacked.
According to her lawsuit, Citibank gave her targets she couldn’t meet. The bank then cited her performance as a reason for termination. Citi said she came late for work, but oddly enough the days cited were bank holidays.
Lorenzana said she struggled to pay the bills without a job. “It was very hard,” says Lorenzana, who fought back tears during an NBC interview while describing the Christmas she celebrated with her son without presents.
Her lawyer Jack Tuckner says at its base, this case is about gender discrimination. “Should she have worn a burkha because they couldn’t handle how she looked?” thundered Tuckner.
The lawsuit against Vikram Pandit-run Citi has grabbed media attention and raised concerns about woman being subjected to discrimination, and sexual harassment in banks.
Citi came out with a statement, saying it provided a respectful environment for women; “We believe this lawsuit is without merit and we will defend against it vigorously. We do not condone or tolerate discrimination within our business for any reason.” The bank claims all workers are given dress guidelines.
